Buying guide

How to Choose your Action Camera

Resolution matters, as with any other camera

First of all, you need to make sure that you buy an action camera that has a great resolution. Because you will be moving a lot when skiing or skateboarding, you need an HD camera that is able to handle all the movement and yet capture crystal clear and non-pixelated images that you can watch on your TV or laptop later. If you want a camera that is really special, opt for a 4K (Ultra HD) camera. However, cameras with 1080p and 720p are also good enough.

Choose an action camera that can withstand weather and water

An important point to consider in an action camera is resistance against the elements of weather. Because these cameras are, almost always, used outdoors, you need an action camera that is weatherproof and waterproof. These cameras may not be the most expensive gadgets in the world, but they cost money. You don’t want your new camera to stop working because water entered it.

An action camera with Wide Angle Lens allows you to capture more

An action camera with a wide angle lens is the best option to buy. As you go through the list of action cameras in online stores, pay special attention to the number of degrees that it can capture. More the value of the degree, wider is the field of view and larger are the images that you are able to capture. When you watch the moving images later on, you will feel that much better.

A Portable Action Camera is a must

An action camera has to be lightweight. Because you will be attaching an action camera to your helmet or your torso or even your elbow, you don’t want it to make you feel conscious. Adventure sports require extreme attention and you cannot afford to have anything hampering your concentration levels. So, choose the lightest camera that you come across. This is, however, only one of the considerations for you. Also consider the other elements that are mentioned here.

Buy a Mount for Stable Video capture

It is possible that you don’t want to attach your action camera to your body and instead want it attached with your cycle or motorbike. This is especially useful when you are dirt biking or cycling through a mountain trail. The camera will capture the images in first person and you will love to recapture the moments later on. You can also run a commentary while you are cycling (not recommended when dirt biking but the sound of the bike will be thrilling enough) and a complete video can be created. For all this to happen, you need to purchase a mount. You can increase the number of mounts as per your requirement.

Consider the Battery carefully

An action camera can eat up a lot of battery and you need to be prepared accordingly. A standard alkaline battery will only last a few hours. It is best to opt for a stronger battery (Li-ion perhaps). Opt for an action camera with a rechargeable battery so that you don’t need spare batteries added to your load.

Connectivity and Storage

As far as storage and connectivity are concerned, there are options available too. Some of the action cameras are Wi-Fi enabled and you can also use micro-SD cards for storage.

The Top Action Cameras of the moment

The best action cameras are the 4K (UHD) ones. The quality of moving images captured by 4K cameras is simply out of this world. There are two models that you can look at here – Panasonic HX-A500 (photo 1) and lightinthebox F9 1080P HD Outdoor Sports DV 120 Degrees A Level High Resolution Ultra Wide Action Camera.

If you are not willing to spend that much on a 4K action camera, one of the 1080p action cameras is also good enough for you. Some of the top models with 1080p HD capability are GoPro HERO 4 (photo 2), GoPro HERO 3+, Sony HDR-AS100 and Garmin VIRB.

The other option is, of course, a 720p HD action camera. These cameras are much less expensive and should fit into almost any budget. The bestselling items with 720p HD display are GoPro Hero, Garmin Dash Cam 20, Sony Action Cam Mini HDR-AZ1 and ION Air Pro WiFi (photo 3).